Museums Empowered (ME) is a special initiative of the Museums for America grant program that supports projects that use professional development and training to generate change and growth within museums of all types and sizes.
Donor Name: Institute of Museum and Library Services
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/13/2026
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 3 Years
Details:
The goal of this program is to support staff learning and training to: provide museum staff with the skills to integrate digital technology into museum operations; strengthen the ability of museum staff to use evaluation as a tool to shape museum programs and improve outcomes; and strengthen and support museum staff as the essential part of a resilient organizational culture.
The primary audiences for this program are museums and museum professionals.
Funding Information
- Total amount of funding IMLS expects to award through this announcement: $4,299,000
- Expected amount of individual awards: $5,000 – $300,000
- Average amount of funding per award in previous years: $214,950
Project Period
September 1, 2026 – August 31, 2029.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for an award under the ALHC program, your organization must meet all three of the following eligibility criteria. Your organization must be:
- a unit of State, local, or Tribal government; or
- a private, nonprofit organization that has tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended (you will need to include proof of this if applicable to your organization.
Your organization must be located in:
- one of the 50 States of the United States of America,
- the District of Columbia,
- the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico,
- the U.S. Virgin Islands,
- Guam,
- American Samoa,
- the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,
- the Republic of the Marshall Islands,
- the Federated States of Micronesia, or
- the Republic of Palau.
Your organization must qualify as one of the following:
- A museum that:
- uses a professional staff;
- is organized on a permanent basis for essentially educational, cultural heritage, or aesthetic purposes;
- owns or uses tangible objects, including living collections;
- cares for these objects;
- exhibits these objects to the general public on a regular basis through facilities that it owns or operates
Eligibility of Museums Located within a Parent Organization
A museum located within a parent organization that is a State, local, or Tribal government or multipurpose nonprofit entity, such as a university, historical society, foundation, or cultural center, may apply on its own behalf if the museum:
- can independently fulfill all the eligibility requirements listed in the above three criteria;
- functions as a discrete unit within the parent organization;
- has its own fully segregated and itemized operating budget; and
- has the authority to make the application on its own.
Eligibility of Nonprofit Organization Affiliated with a Museum
They may determine that a nonprofit organization affiliated with a museum is eligible for this program if:
- its sole mission is to support the specified museum;
- it has the ability to administer the project; and
- it can ensure compliance with the terms of this Notice of Funding Opportunity and the applicable law, including the IMLS Assurances and Certifications.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
